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Work on Gulbarga airport will resume soon: Chief Minister

‘Alternative ways of completing the work being explored’

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said he will soon convene a meeting of senior officials, including Principal Secretary of the Infrastructure Department, to explore alternative ways for completing the construction of Gulbarga airport, which has been held up for more than six months owing to a dispute between the partners of the construction company. .

Presiding over a meeting to review various development projects in the district during his maiden visit to Gulbarga on Saturday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the government’s attempts at force the conglomerate to complete the remaining 20 per cent of the work had failed.

The government had also issued a show-cause notice to the conglomerate for scrapping the deal. “We made our best efforts to strike a rapprochement between the warring partners, which was in vain,” he said.

Bowing to the demand of legislators, including B.R. Patil and MLCs Allamprabhu Patil and Amarnath Patil, the Chief Minister said that as was done last year, the government would increase the minimum support price (MSP) of red gram to more than the Rs. 4,300 a quintal announced by the Union government. The State would also release adequate grants from the revolving fund for market intervention to the Red Gram Development Board for stabilising post-harvest prices. The legislators urged the government to fix Rs. 5,300 a quintal as MSP for red gram.

Referring to the drinking water scarcity, Mr. Siddaramaiah asked Deputy Commissioner Y. Prasad to ensure adequate supply of drinking water to all villages and said that complaints of non-availability of drinking water would not be tolerated. “The government will release additional funds to all districts, if necessary, to meet the drinking water requirements,” he said.

The government had relaxed the norms of the calamity relief fund and is allowing drilling of borewells with the funds now. He instructed Agriculture Department officials to ensure adequate stock of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides for the rabi season.

MSP of red gram will be increased

to over Rs. 4,300

a quintal, says

Siddaramaiah

Ensure adequate water supply to all villages, Deputy Commissioner told